The present invention relates to inkjet printing, and more particularly to a method and system for drying a printed document.
Inkjet printing has commonly been used for printing conventional documents, but is increasingly common in printing color photographs as well. Many inkjet printouts remain wet for several seconds, and even several minutes or hours, after printing, making them vulnerable to smearing. This relatively long drying time requires the printed medium to be handled carefully before it is completely dry to avoid damage.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a system for drying a printed medium, comprising a heated roll and a transport mechanism for moving the printed medium against the heated roll to dry the printed medium.
The invention is also directed to an inkjet printing mechanism having a system for drying a printed medium comprising a heated roll, a backing roll, and a transport mechanism for moving the printed medium between the heated roll and the backing roll to dry the printed medium.
The invention is further directed to a method for drying a printed medium, comprising the steps of disposing a heated roll in a medium transport path and transporting the printed medium along the medium transport path against the heated roll to dry the printed medium.
Further aspects and embodiments of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims set forth below.